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| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], [[U.S.]]
| birth_place = [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], [[U.S.]]
| education = [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Chicago]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
| education = [[University of California, Santa Barbara]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Chicago]] ([[Juris Doctor|JD]])
| occupation = {{hlist|Television producer|lawyer|legal analyst|celebrity reporter}}
| occupation = {{hlist|Television producer|lawyer|legal analyst|journalist}}
| known_for = Founder of [[TMZ]]
| known_for = Founder of [[TMZ]]
| style = [[Paparazzi]]
| style = [[Paparazzi]]
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}}
}}


'''Harvey Robert Levin'''<ref name='barinfo'>{{cite web |url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/66577 |title=State Bar of CA, Harvey Robert Levin |website=members.calbar.ca.gov |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> (born September 2, 1950) is an American television producer, legal analyst, celebrity reporter, and former lawyer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beale |first=Lauren |date=February 24, 2015 |title=Exclusive details: Harvey Levin of TMZ hunts for a renter |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-harvey-levin-20150224-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He is the founder of celebrity news website [[TMZ]], and the former host of ''OBJECTified'', which aired on the [[Fox News|Fox News Channel]].
'''Harvey Robert Levin'''<ref name='barinfo'>{{cite web |url=http://members.calbar.ca.gov/fal/Member/Detail/66577 |title=State Bar of CA, Harvey Robert Levin |website=members.calbar.ca.gov |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> (born September 2, 1950) <ref>{{cite book | url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6RfOEAAAQBAJ&dq=Harvey+levin+1950&pg=RA1-PA190 | title=TV in the USA &#91;3 volumes&#93;: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas &#91;3 volumes&#93; | isbn=978-1-4408-2973-4 | last1=Lobrutto | first1=Vincent | date=4 January 2018 | publisher=Bloomsbury Publishing USA }}</ref> is an American television producer, legal analyst, journalist, and former lawyer.<ref>{{cite news |last=Beale |first=Lauren |date=February 24, 2015 |title=Exclusive details: Harvey Levin of TMZ hunts for a renter |url=https://www.latimes.com/business/realestate/hot-property/la-fi-hotprop-harvey-levin-20150224-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He founded the celebrity news website [[TMZ]] in 2005, and later briefly served as the host of ''OBJECTified'' (2016–present), which aired on the [[Fox News|Fox News Channel]].


== Early life and education ==
==Early life and education==
Levin was born September 2, 1950, in [[Los Angeles County, California]] to a [[Jewish]] family.<ref>"Harvey Levin." ''Biography in Context''. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Biography In Context. Web. April 17, 2011.</ref><ref>"Harvey Levin." ''Newsmakers''. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Gale Biography In Context. Web. April 17, 2011.</ref><ref name='guardian1'>{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Paul |date=October 24, 2009 |title=How TMZ's high prince of sleaze became the King of Hollywood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/25/harvey-levin-tmz-hollywood-gossip |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He attended high school at [[Cleveland High School (Los Angeles, California)|Grover Cleveland High School]] in [[Reseda, Los Angeles]] and graduated in 1968 with honors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clevelandhs.org/apps/news/article/7852 |title=FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS CAVALIERS |website=www.clevelandhs.org |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dailynews.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=22386803&event=696348&CategoryID=26304 |title=Cleveland High School 50th |date=February 20, 2009 |last=Burch |first=Tina |website=dailynews.mycapture.com |access-date=August 25, 2015 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Levin attended the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]], where he graduated with a B.A. in political science in 1972.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Gwendolyn |date=April 29, 2015 |title=UCSB Alum Harvey Levin Speaks on Changes in Media |url=https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2015/04/ucsb-alum-harvey-levin-speaks-on-changes-in-media |newspaper=[[The Bottom Line (newspaper)|The Bottom Line]] |location=[[Santa Barbara, California]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He later attended the [[University of Chicago Law School]] and graduated with a J.D. in 1975.<ref name='uchilaw1'>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/harvey-levin-75-tmz-tells-students-why-his-jd-matters |title=Harvey Levin, '75, of TMZ Tells Students Why His JD Matters |last=Safranek |first=Lynn |date=October 18, 2010 |website=www.law.uchicago.edu/ |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref>
Levin was born September 2, 1950, in [[Los Angeles County, California]] to a [[Jewish]] family.<ref>"Harvey Levin." ''Biography in Context''. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Biography In Context. Web. April 17, 2011.</ref><ref>"Harvey Levin." ''Newsmakers''. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Gale Biography In Context. Web. April 17, 2011.</ref><ref name='guardian1'>{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Paul |date=October 24, 2009 |title=How TMZ's high prince of sleaze became the King of Hollywood |url=https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2009/oct/25/harvey-levin-tmz-hollywood-gossip |newspaper=[[The Guardian]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He attended high school at [[Cleveland High School (Los Angeles, California)|Grover Cleveland High School]] in [[Reseda, Los Angeles]] and graduated in 1968 with honors.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.clevelandhs.org/apps/news/article/7852 |title=FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS CAVALIERS |website=www.clevelandhs.org |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://dailynews.mycapture.com/mycapture/enlarge.asp?image=22386803&event=696348&CategoryID=26304 |title=Cleveland High School 50th |date=February 20, 2009 |last=Burch |first=Tina |website=dailynews.mycapture.com |access-date=August 25, 2015 }}{{dead link|date=January 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> Levin attended the [[University of California, Santa Barbara]], where he graduated with a B.A. in political science in 1972.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wu |first=Gwendolyn |date=April 29, 2015 |title=UCSB Alum Harvey Levin Speaks on Changes in Media |url=https://thebottomline.as.ucsb.edu/2015/04/ucsb-alum-harvey-levin-speaks-on-changes-in-media |newspaper=[[The Bottom Line (newspaper)|The Bottom Line]] |location=[[Santa Barbara, California]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He later attended the [[University of Chicago Law School]] and graduated with a J.D. in 1975.<ref name='uchilaw1'>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.uchicago.edu/news/harvey-levin-75-tmz-tells-students-why-his-jd-matters |title=Harvey Levin, '75, of TMZ Tells Students Why His JD Matters |last=Safranek |first=Lynn |date=October 18, 2010}}</ref>


== Career ==
==Career==
=== Early law career and academia ===
===Early law career and academia===
Levin was an active attorney in the state of California for two decades, from December 18, 1975, until January 1, 1996.<ref name='barinfo'/> In the mid-1970s, he taught law at the [[University of Miami School of Law]] under [[Soia Mentschikoff]].<ref name='uchilaw1'/><ref name='pubopin'>{{cite journal |last=Klein |first=Asher |date=September–October 2013 |title=In the court of public opinion
Levin was an active attorney in California for two decades, from December 18, 1975, until January 1, 1996.<ref name='barinfo'/> In the mid-1970s, he taught law at the [[University of Miami School of Law]] under [[Soia Mentschikoff]].<ref name='uchilaw1'/><ref name='pubopin'>{{cite journal |last=Klein |first=Asher |date=September–October 2013 |title=In the court of public opinion
|url=http://mag.uchicago.edu/law-policy-society/court-public-opinion
|url=http://mag.uchicago.edu/law-policy-society/court-public-opinion
|journal=The University of Chicago Magazine |location=[[Chicago]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He then practiced law briefly in Los Angeles before taking a position at [[Whittier Law School|Whittier College School of Law]].<ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/><ref name='mediabistro'>{{cite web
|journal=The University of Chicago Magazine |location=[[Chicago]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He then practiced law briefly in Los Angeles before taking a position at [[Whittier Law School|Whittier College School of Law]].<ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/><ref name='mediabistro'>{{cite web
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}}</ref>
}}</ref>


In 1978, Levin came to public attention following a series of high-profile debates with [[Howard Jarvis]], the co-author of [[California Proposition 13 (1978)|Proposition 13]], California's controversial [[property tax]]-reduction [[ballot measure]], which Levin opposed.
In 1978, Levin came to public attention following a series of high-profile debates with [[Howard Jarvis]], the co-author of [[California Proposition 13 (1978)|Proposition 13]], California's controversial [[property tax]]-reduction [[ballot measure]], which Levin opposed. With his newfound fame, Levin began to contribute legal advice on a radio show, where he was nicknamed "Doctor Law", as well as to write columns for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref name="mediabistro" /><ref name="pubopin" /><ref name="guardian1" /> His columnist career with the ''Times'' spanned seven years.<ref name="mediabistro" />


⚫
===Transition to entertainment===
With his newfound fame, Levin began to contribute legal advice on a radio show, where he was nicknamed "Doctor Law", as well as to write columns for the ''[[Los Angeles Times]]''.<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/> His columnist career with the ''Times'' spanned seven years.<ref name='mediabistro'/>
⚫
{{main|TMZ}}
⚫
Levin covered legal issues for [[KNBC]]-TV in 1982.<ref name="mediabistro" /> He subsequently joined [[KCBS-TV]] and spent a decade doing investigative reporting and legal analysis,<ref name="mediabistro" /><ref name="pubopin" /><ref name="guardian1" /> most notably covering the [[O. J. Simpson murder case]].<ref name="mediabistro" /><ref name="pubopin" /><ref name="guardian1" /> In 1997, he was named co-executive producer and on-air legal anchor for ''[[The People's Court]]''. Levin remained on the show until its cancellation in July 2023.<ref name="pubopin" /><ref name="EM">{{cite journal|title=Levin to preside in 'Court'|journal=Electronic Media|date=March 24, 1997|volume=16|issue=13|page=22}}</ref><ref name="mediabistro" /> He created ''[[Celebrity Justice]]'', which ran from 2002 to 2005.<ref name="pubopin" /><ref name="guardian1" />


⚫
Levin produced ''Beyond Twisted'', which aired in 2009 for one season before being canceled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anorak.co.uk/217571/news/tmzs-beyond-twisted-replaced-by-new-reality-show.html/ |title=TMZ's Beyond Twisted Replaced By New Reality Show |date=July 22, 2009 |website=www.anorak.co.uk |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He created ''[[Famous in 12]]'' (2014), an experiment in exploiting a family for quick fame,<ref>{{cite news |last=Ryan |first=Patrick |date=June 2, 2014 |title='Famous in 12' pushes the insta-celeb envelope |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/06/02/famous-in-12/9774869/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |location=[[Tysons Corner, Virginia]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> but the show was canceled after less than one season, with only five of the scheduled twelve episodes having aired.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2014/07/famous-in-12-announces-its-own-cancellation-on-air-after-tmz-unable-to-make-family-stars-in-5-799495/ |title='Famous In 12' Announces Its Own Cancellation On Air After TMZ Unable To Make Family Stars In 5 |date=July 3, 2014 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref>{{quote box|width=350px|quote=This is not television. It's rawer, it's urgent, it's less produced. I really think this is the future. People want to get what they can get on-demand, and they have as much access to a computer as they do a TV set.|source= —Levin in a 2005 interview with ''Television Week''<ref name="TW"/>}}
⚫
=== Transition to entertainment ===
Levin covered legal issues for [[KNBC]]-TV in 1982.<ref name='mediabistro'/> He subsequently joined [[KCBS-TV]] and spent a decade doing investigative reporting and legal analysis,<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/> most notably covering the [[O. J. Simpson murder case]].<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/>


⚫
In 2005, [[AOL]] and [[Telepictures|Telepictures Productions]] launched [[TMZ]] with Levin as the founder and managing editor.<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='telegraph'>{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Rachel |date=November 10, 2011 |title=Harvey Levin, founder of celebrity news website TMZ: 'We would never hack phones' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8879315/Harvey-Levin-founder-of-celebrity-news-website-TMZ-We-would-never-hack-phones.html |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001656883 |title=AOL Launches TMZ.com |last=Shields |first=Mike |date=December 8, 2005 |website=www.mediaweek.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219061419/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001656883 |archive-date=February 19, 2006 |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> The website quickly rose to prominence when it broke the story of [[Mel Gibson]]'s DUI arrest and subsequent antisemitic rant.<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/><ref name='telegraph'/> It continued to break a number of high-profile stories including the abuse of [[Rihanna]] by [[Chris Brown]] and the deaths of [[Heath Ledger]], [[Brittany Murphy]], ⁣[[Death of Michael Jackson|Michael Jackson]], and [[Kobe Bryant]].<ref name='guardian1'/> The ''Los Angeles Times'' named TMZ's coverage of the Jackson death as the biggest story the website had covered to date.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Scott |last2=James |first2=Meg |date=June 28, 2009 |title=Michael Jackson may be turning point for TMZ |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2009-jun-28-et-tmz28-story.html |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref>
⚫
In 1997 he was named co-executive producer and on-air legal anchor for ''[[The People's Court]]''.<ref name='pubopin'/><ref name="EM">{{cite journal|title=Levin to preside in 'Court'|journal=Electronic Media|date=March 24, 1997|volume=16|issue=13|page=22}}</ref><ref name='mediabistro'/> He created ''[[Celebrity Justice]]'', which ran from 2002 to 2005.<ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/>


⚫
Levin produced ''Beyond Twisted'', which aired in 2009 for one season before being cancelled.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.anorak.co.uk/217571/news/tmzs-beyond-twisted-replaced-by-new-reality-show.html/ |title=TMZ's Beyond Twisted Replaced By New Reality Show |date=July 22, 2009 |website=www.anorak.co.uk |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He created ''[[Famous in 12]]'' (2014), an experiment in exploiting a family for quick fame,<ref>{{cite news |last=Ryan |first=Patrick |date=June 2, 2014 |title='Famous in 12' pushes the insta-celeb envelope |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/tv/2014/06/02/famous-in-12/9774869/ |newspaper=[[USA Today]] |location=[[Tysons Corner, Virginia]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> but the show was cancelled after less than one season, with only five of the scheduled twelve episodes having aired.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2014/07/famous-in-12-announces-its-own-cancellation-on-air-after-tmz-unable-to-make-family-stars-in-5-799495/ |title='Famous In 12' Announces Its Own Cancellation On Air After TMZ Unable To Make Family Stars In 5 |date=July 3, 2014 |website=deadline.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref>

Since 2016, Levin has hosted the weekly prerecorded show ''OBJECTified'' on the [[Fox News|Fox News Channel]].{{citation needed|date=August 2018}}

=== TMZ ===
⚫
{{main|TMZ}}
{{quote box|width=350px|quote=This is not television. It's rawer, it's urgent, it's less produced. I really think this is the future. People want to get what they can get on-demand, and they have as much access to a computer as they do a TV set.|source= —Levin in a 2005 interview with ''Television Week''<ref name="TW"/>}}

⚫
In 2005, [[AOL]] and [[Telepictures|Telepictures Productions]] launched [[TMZ]] with Levin as the founder and managing editor.<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='telegraph'>{{cite news |last=Ray |first=Rachel |date=November 10, 2011 |title=Harvey Levin, founder of celebrity news website TMZ: 'We would never hack phones' |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/tvandradio/8879315/Harvey-Levin-founder-of-celebrity-news-website-TMZ-We-would-never-hack-phones.html |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph]] |location=[[London]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001656883 |title=AOL Launches TMZ.com |last=Shields |first=Mike |date=December 8, 2005 |website=www.mediaweek.com |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060219061419/http://www.mediaweek.com/mw/news/recent_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1001656883 |archive-date=February 19, 2006 |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> The website quickly rose to prominence when it broke the story of [[Mel Gibson]]'s DUI arrest and subsequent antisemitic rant.<ref name='mediabistro'/><ref name='pubopin'/><ref name='guardian1'/><ref name='telegraph'/> It continued to break a number of high-profile stories including the abuse of [[Rihanna]] by [[Chris Brown]] and the deaths of [[Heath Ledger]], [[Brittany Murphy]], [[Kobe Bryant]], and [[Death of Michael Jackson|Michael Jackson]].<ref name='guardian1'/> The ''Los Angeles Times'' named TMZ's coverage of the Jackson death as the biggest story the website had covered to date.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Collins |first1=Scott |last2=James |first2=Meg |date=June 28, 2009 |title=Michael Jackson may be turning point for TMZ |url=https://articles.latimes.com/2009/jun/28/entertainment/et-tmz28 |newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref>

=== Other ventures ===
Harvey Levin Productions has produced Levin's media projects since he joined ''[[The People's Court]]'' in 1983 as the show's legal consultant.<ref name='pubopin'/> In 1985, Levin wrote ''The People's Court: How to Tell It to the Judge'', reviewing and providing commentary on several cases from the show.<ref name="twitchell">{{cite journal|last1=Twitchell|first1=Anne|title=The People's Court|journal=Library Journal|date= February 1, 1985 |volume=110|issue=2|page=109}}</ref> ''[[The Library Journal]]'' "recommended [the book] for public libraries."<ref name="twitchell"/>
Harvey Levin Productions has produced Levin's media projects since he joined ''[[The People's Court]]'' in 1983 as the show's legal consultant.<ref name='pubopin'/> In 1985, Levin wrote ''The People's Court: How to Tell It to the Judge'', reviewing and providing commentary on several cases from the show.<ref name="twitchell">{{cite journal|last1=Twitchell|first1=Anne|title=The People's Court|journal=Library Journal|date= February 1, 1985 |volume=110|issue=2|page=109}}</ref> ''[[The Library Journal]]'' "recommended [the book] for public libraries."<ref name="twitchell"/>


== Personal life ==
==Personal life==
[[File:HarveyLevinApr10.jpg|thumb|Levin in 2010]]
Levin appeared as an event speaker for the [[National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association]] in April 2010 in which he publicly confirmed his self-identification as gay.<ref name='greg'>{{cite web |url=http://greginhollywood.com/tmzs-harvey-levin-talks-about-being-gay-in-the-news-business-i-was-so-terrified-that-somebody-would-find-out-26368 |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin talks about being gay in the news business: "I was so terrified that somebody would find out." |last=Hernandez |first=Greg |date=April 23, 2010 |website=greginhollywood.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He discussed his fear of losing his career if someone were to find out, which led to Levin compartmentalizing his personal and professional lives.<ref name='greg'/><ref name="hadrien">{{cite journal|last1=gosset-bernheim|first1=hadrien|title=Hollywood veut sa peau|journal=Hollywood Veut Sa Peau|pages=110–115|url=http://media.wix.com/ugd/cb624b_d406ab5639b844859acda3615f02911e.pdf|access-date=20 October 2017|language=fr}}</ref>
Levin appeared as an event speaker for the [[National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association]] in April 2010 in which he publicly confirmed his self-identification as gay.<ref name='greg'>{{cite web |url=http://greginhollywood.com/tmzs-harvey-levin-talks-about-being-gay-in-the-news-business-i-was-so-terrified-that-somebody-would-find-out-26368 |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin talks about being gay in the news business: "I was so terrified that somebody would find out." |last=Hernandez |first=Greg |date=April 23, 2010 |website=greginhollywood.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He discussed his fear of losing his career if someone were to find out, which led to Levin compartmentalizing his personal and professional lives.<ref name='greg'/><ref name="hadrien">{{cite journal|last1=gosset-bernheim|first1=hadrien|title=Hollywood veut sa peau|journal=Hollywood Veut Sa Peau|pages=110–115|url=http://media.wix.com/ugd/cb624b_d406ab5639b844859acda3615f02911e.pdf|access-date=20 October 2017|language=fr}}</ref>

Levin's longtime partner is Andy Mauer, a chiropractor in southern California.<ref name='varietymd'>{{cite journal |last=David |first=Mark |date=March 2, 2013 |title=TMZ Boss Harvey Levin Lists Sunset Strip Digs |url=https://variety.com/2013/dirt/real-estalker/tmz-boss-harvey-levin-lists-sunset-strip-digs-651/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref name='realty'>{{cite web |url=http://www.realtytoday.com/articles/3774/20130302/harvey-levin-tmz-lists-hollywood-hills-home.htm |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin Lists Sunset Strip Home for $5.3 Million |last=Gupta |first=Rapti |date=March 2, 2013 |website=www.realtytoday.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gawker.com/5002975/harvey-levins-muscular-masseur |title=Harvey Levin's Muscular Masseur |last=Denton |first=Nick |date=February 9, 2008 |website=gawker.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> The two own multiple properties together, sharing joint-deed listings since the late 1990s and early 2000s.<ref name='varietymd'/><ref name='realty'/>


Levin has been named to ''[[Out (magazine)|Out]]'' magazine's "Power 50" list as one of the most influential voices in LGBT America since 2012 when he was named #15.<ref>{{cite journal |date=April 17, 2012 |title=The Power List: HARVEY LEVIN |url=http://www.out.com/2012/04/17/power-list-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He has since been named #25 in 2013, #34 in 2014, #48 in 2015, and #40 in 2016.<ref>{{cite journal |date=April 10, 2013 |title=Power List 2013: HARVEY LEVIN |url=http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/power-50/2013/04/10/power-list-2013-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date=April 15, 2014 |title=Power List 2014: HARVEY LEVIN |url=http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/power-50/2014/04/15/power-list-2014-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date=April 15, 2015 |title=Power 50: Harvey Levin |url=http://www.out.com/power-50/2015/4/06/power-50-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 10th Annual Power List|url=https://www.out.com/power-50/2016/4/14/10th-annual-power-list#slide-45|access-date=20 October 2017|language=en|date=14 April 2016}}</ref>
Levin's longtime partner is Andy Mauer, a chiropractor in southern California.<ref name='varietymd'>{{cite journal |last=David |first=Mark |date=March 2, 2013 |title=TMZ Boss Harvey Levin Lists Sunset Strip Digs |url=https://variety.com/2013/dirt/real-estalker/tmz-boss-harvey-levin-lists-sunset-strip-digs-651/ |journal=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]] |location=[[Los Angeles]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref name='realty'>{{cite web |url=http://www.realtytoday.com/articles/3774/20130302/harvey-levin-tmz-lists-hollywood-hills-home.htm |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin Lists Sunset Strip Home for $5.3 Million |last=Gupta |first=Rapti |date=March 2, 2013 |website=www.realtytoday.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |url=http://gawker.com/5002975/harvey-levins-muscular-masseur |title=Harvey Levin's Muscular Masseur |last=Denton |first=Nick |date=February 9, 2008 |website=gawker.com |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> The two own multiple properties together, sharing joint-deed listings since the late 1990s and early 2000s.<ref name='varietymd'/><ref name='realty'/> Levin has been named to ''[[Out (magazine)|Out]]'' magazine's "Power 50" list as one of the most influential voices in LGBT America since 2012 when he was named #15.<ref>{{cite journal |date=April 17, 2012 |title=The Power List: HARVEY LEVIN |url=http://www.out.com/2012/04/17/power-list-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref> He has since been named #25 in 2013, #34 in 2014, #48 in 2015, and #40 in 2016.<ref>{{cite journal |date=April 10, 2013 |title=Power List 2013: HARVEY LEVIN |url=http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/power-50/2013/04/10/power-list-2013-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date=April 15, 2014 |title=Power List 2014: HARVEY LEVIN |url=http://www.out.com/out-exclusives/power-50/2014/04/15/power-list-2014-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |date=April 15, 2015 |title=Power 50: Harvey Levin |url=http://www.out.com/power-50/2015/4/06/power-50-harvey-levin |journal=[[Out (magazine)|Out]] |access-date=August 25, 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The 10th Annual Power List|url=https://www.out.com/power-50/2016/4/14/10th-annual-power-list#slide-45|access-date=20 October 2017|language=en|date=14 April 2016}}</ref>


⚫
Levin supported [[Donald Trump]] in the run-up to the [[2016 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Cartwright |first=Lachlan |date=14 July 2019 |title=TMZ Goes MAGA: How Harvey Levin's Gossip Empire Became Trump's Best Friend |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/tmz-goes-maga-how-harvey-levins-gossip-empire-became-trumps-best-friend |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref> Following the election, he met with Trump in the [[Oval Office]] on March 7, 2017, and chatted for an hour.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump Grants Oval Office Meeting to TMZ Founder | newspaper=The New York Times | date=8 March 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/business/media/tmz-trump-meets-with-harvey-levin.html?_r=0| last1=Grynbaum | first1=Michael M. }}</ref> However, all that changed by August 2018,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Serota |first1=Maggie |title=Report: Trump And TMZ's Harvey Levin Aren't Friends Anymore |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/08/trump-harvey-levin-falling-out-tmz-kris-jenner/ |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref> when he broke ties with Trump over the president's repeated attempts to establish a [[Transgender military ban in the United States|transgender military ban]]. He became an increasingly vocal opponent of Trump in the years following.<ref>{{cite web |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin shares his opinion on President Trump and protesters |url=https://www.fox4news.com/video/690556 |website=FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth |access-date=25 March 2023 |date=2 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Michaelson |first1=Elex |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin Says Donald Trump "Committed Treason" & Should be Prosecuted |website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ylEO5-q20&ab_channel=ElexMichaelson |access-date=25 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref>
===Politics===
⚫
Levin supported [[Donald Trump]] in the run-up to the [[2016 United States presidential election]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Cartwright |first=Lachlan |date=14 July 2019 |title=TMZ Goes MAGA: How Harvey Levin's Gossip Empire Became Trump's Best Friend |url=https://www.thedailybeast.com/tmz-goes-maga-how-harvey-levins-gossip-empire-became-trumps-best-friend |work=The Daily Beast |access-date=17 October 2020}}</ref> Following the election, he met with Trump in the [[Oval Office]] on March 7, 2017, and chatted for an hour.<ref>{{cite news |title=Trump Grants Oval Office Meeting to TMZ Founder | newspaper=The New York Times | date=8 March 2017 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/07/business/media/tmz-trump-meets-with-harvey-levin.html?_r=0| last1=Grynbaum | first1=Michael M. }}</ref> However, all that changed by August 2018,<ref>{{cite web |last1=Serota |first1=Maggie |title=Report: Trump And TMZ's Harvey Levin Aren't Friends Anymore |url=https://www.spin.com/2018/08/trump-harvey-levin-falling-out-tmz-kris-jenner/ |access-date=25 March 2023}}</ref> when he broke ties with Trump over the president's repeated attempts to establish a [[Transgender_military_ban_in_the_United_States|transgender military ban]]. He became an increasingly vocal opponent of Trump in the years following.<ref>{{cite web |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin shares his opinion on President Trump and protesters |url=https://www.fox4news.com/video/690556 |website=FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth |access-date=25 March 2023 |date=2 June 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Michaelson |first1=Elex |title=TMZ's Harvey Levin Says Donald Trump "Committed Treason" & Should be Prosecuted |website=[[YouTube]] |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ylEO5-q20&ab_channel=ElexMichaelson |access-date=25 March 2023 |language=en}}</ref>


==Filmography==
==Filmography==
Line 78: Line 66:
* ''The People's Court: How to Tell it to the Judge'' (1985)
* ''The People's Court: How to Tell it to the Judge'' (1985)


== Awards and honors ==
==Awards and honors==
For his broadcast work, Levin has been nominated for nine Emmys.<ref name='telegraph'/>
For his broadcast work, Levin has been nominated for nine Emmys.<ref name='telegraph'/>


== References ==
==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}
{{Reflist}}


== Further reading ==
==Further reading==
* {{cite magazine |author=Schmidle, Nicholas |date=February 22, 2016 |title=The digital dirt : how TMZ gets the videos and photos that celebrities want to hide |department=Letter from Los Angeles |magazine=The New Yorker |volume=92 |issue=2 |pages=36–49 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/02/22/inside-harvey-levins-tmz <!--|access-date=2022-10-03-->}}<ref group=lower-alpha>Title in the online table of contents is "TMZ redefines celebrity dirt".</ref>
* {{cite magazine |author=Schmidle, Nicholas |date=February 22, 2016 |title=The digital dirt : how TMZ gets the videos and photos that celebrities want to hide |department=Letter from Los Angeles |magazine=The New Yorker |volume=92 |issue=2 |pages=36–49 |url=https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2016/02/22/inside-harvey-levins-tmz <!--|access-date=2022-10-03-->}}<ref group=lower-alpha>Title in the online table of contents is "TMZ redefines celebrity dirt".</ref>
———————
———————
;Notes
;Notes
{{reflist|30em|group=lower-alpha}}
{{Reflist|30em|group=lower-alpha}}


== External links ==
==External links==
{{Commons}}
{{Commons}}
* {{IMDb name|505608}}
* {{IMDb name|505608}}
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[[Category:University of Chicago Law School alumni]]
[[Category:University of Chicago Law School alumni]]
[[Category:Whittier College faculty]]
[[Category:Whittier College faculty]]
[[Category:Jewish American attorneys]]
[[Category:American lawyers]]
[[Category:Gay Jews]]
[[Category:Gay Jews]]
[[Category:LGBT television producers]]
[[Category:LGBTQ television producers]]
[[Category:American LGBT lawyers]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ lawyers]]
[[Category:American LGBT broadcasters]]
[[Category:American LGBTQ broadcasters]]
[[Category:American gay writers]]
[[Category:American gay writers]]
[[Category:American gay actors]]
[[Category:American gay actors]]
[[Category:LGBT people from California]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people from California]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:21st-century American Jews]]
[[Category:Cleveland High School (Los Angeles) alumni]]
[[Category:Cleveland High School (Los Angeles) alumni]]
[[Category:21st-century American LGBT people]]
[[Category:21st-century American LGBTQ people]]

Latest revision as of 01:40, 18 November 2024

For the American economist, see Harvey J. Levin.
Harvey Levin
Levin in 2010
Born
Harvey Robert Levin

(1950-09-02) September 2, 1950 (age 74)
Los Angeles, California, U.S.
EducationUniversity of California, Santa Barbara (BA)
University of Chicago (JD)
Occupations
  • Television producer
  • lawyer
  • legal analyst
  • journalist
Known forFounder of TMZ
StylePaparazzi
PartnerAndy Mauer

Harvey Robert Levin[1] (born September 2, 1950) [2] is an American television producer, legal analyst, journalist, and former lawyer.[3] He founded the celebrity news website TMZ in 2005, and later briefly served as the host of OBJECTified (2016–present), which aired on the Fox News Channel.

Early life and education

[edit]

Levin was born September 2, 1950, in Los Angeles County, California to a Jewish family.[4][5][6] He attended high school at Grover Cleveland High School in Reseda, Los Angeles and graduated in 1968 with honors.[7][8] Levin attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, where he graduated with a B.A. in political science in 1972.[9] He later attended the University of Chicago Law School and graduated with a J.D. in 1975.[10]

Career

[edit]

Early law career and academia

[edit]

Levin was an active attorney in California for two decades, from December 18, 1975, until January 1, 1996.[1] In the mid-1970s, he taught law at the University of Miami School of Law under Soia Mentschikoff.[10][11] He then practiced law briefly in Los Angeles before taking a position at Whittier College School of Law.[11][6][12]

In 1978, Levin came to public attention following a series of high-profile debates with Howard Jarvis, the co-author of Proposition 13, California's controversial property tax-reduction ballot measure, which Levin opposed. With his newfound fame, Levin began to contribute legal advice on a radio show, where he was nicknamed "Doctor Law", as well as to write columns for the Los Angeles Times.[12][11][6] His columnist career with the Times spanned seven years.[12]

Transition to entertainment

[edit]
Main article: TMZ

Levin covered legal issues for KNBC-TV in 1982.[12] He subsequently joined KCBS-TV and spent a decade doing investigative reporting and legal analysis,[12][11][6] most notably covering the O. J. Simpson murder case.[12][11][6] In 1997, he was named co-executive producer and on-air legal anchor for The People's Court. Levin remained on the show until its cancellation in July 2023.[11][13][12] He created Celebrity Justice, which ran from 2002 to 2005.[11][6]

Levin produced Beyond Twisted, which aired in 2009 for one season before being canceled.[14] He created Famous in 12 (2014), an experiment in exploiting a family for quick fame,[15] but the show was canceled after less than one season, with only five of the scheduled twelve episodes having aired.[16]

This is not television. It's rawer, it's urgent, it's less produced. I really think this is the future. People want to get what they can get on-demand, and they have as much access to a computer as they do a TV set.

—Levin in a 2005 interview with Television Week[17]

In 2005, AOL and Telepictures Productions launched TMZ with Levin as the founder and managing editor.[12][18][19] The website quickly rose to prominence when it broke the story of Mel Gibson's DUI arrest and subsequent antisemitic rant.[12][11][6][18] It continued to break a number of high-profile stories including the abuse of Rihanna by Chris Brown and the deaths of Heath Ledger, Brittany Murphy, ⁣Michael Jackson, and Kobe Bryant.[6] The Los Angeles Times named TMZ's coverage of the Jackson death as the biggest story the website had covered to date.[20]

Harvey Levin Productions has produced Levin's media projects since he joined The People's Court in 1983 as the show's legal consultant.[11] In 1985, Levin wrote The People's Court: How to Tell It to the Judge, reviewing and providing commentary on several cases from the show.[21] The Library Journal "recommended [the book] for public libraries."[21]

Personal life

[edit]
Levin in 2010

Levin appeared as an event speaker for the National Lesbian and Gay Journalists Association in April 2010 in which he publicly confirmed his self-identification as gay.[22] He discussed his fear of losing his career if someone were to find out, which led to Levin compartmentalizing his personal and professional lives.[22][23]

Levin's longtime partner is Andy Mauer, a chiropractor in southern California.[24][25][26] The two own multiple properties together, sharing joint-deed listings since the late 1990s and early 2000s.[24][25] Levin has been named to Out magazine's "Power 50" list as one of the most influential voices in LGBT America since 2012 when he was named #15.[27] He has since been named #25 in 2013, #34 in 2014, #48 in 2015, and #40 in 2016.[28][29][30][31]

Levin supported Donald Trump in the run-up to the 2016 United States presidential election.[32] Following the election, he met with Trump in the Oval Office on March 7, 2017, and chatted for an hour.[33] However, all that changed by August 2018,[34] when he broke ties with Trump over the president's repeated attempts to establish a transgender military ban. He became an increasingly vocal opponent of Trump in the years following.[35][36]

Filmography

[edit]

Books

[edit]
  • The People's Court: How to Tell it to the Judge (1985)

Awards and honors

[edit]

For his broadcast work, Levin has been nominated for nine Emmys.[18]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "State Bar of CA, Harvey Robert Levin". members.calbar.ca.gov. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  2. ^ Lobrutto, Vincent (4 January 2018). TV in the USA [3 volumes]: A History of Icons, Idols, and Ideas [3 volumes]. Bloomsbury Publishing USA. ISBN 978-1-4408-2973-4.
  3. ^ Beale, Lauren (February 24, 2015). "Exclusive details: Harvey Levin of TMZ hunts for a renter". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  4. ^ "Harvey Levin." Biography in Context. Detroit: Gale, 2010. Gale Biography In Context. Web. April 17, 2011.
  5. ^ "Harvey Levin." Newsmakers. Vol. 4. Detroit: Gale, 2011. Gale Biography In Context. Web. April 17, 2011.
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h Harris, Paul (October 24, 2009). "How TMZ's high prince of sleaze became the King of Hollywood". The Guardian. London. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  7. ^ "FAMOUS AND INFAMOUS CAVALIERS". www.clevelandhs.org. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  8. ^ Burch, Tina (February 20, 2009). "Cleveland High School 50th". dailynews.mycapture.com. Retrieved August 25, 2015.[permanent dead link‍]
  9. ^ Wu, Gwendolyn (April 29, 2015). "UCSB Alum Harvey Levin Speaks on Changes in Media". The Bottom Line. Santa Barbara, California. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  10. ^ a b Safranek, Lynn (October 18, 2010). "Harvey Levin, '75, of TMZ Tells Students Why His JD Matters".
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i Klein, Asher (September–October 2013). "In the court of public opinion". The University of Chicago Magazine. Chicago. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i Clehane, Diane (July 8, 2009). "So What Do You Do, Harvey Levin, Executive Producer and Host, TMZ?". mediabistro.com. Archived from the original on 2012-11-04. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  13. ^ "Levin to preside in 'Court'". Electronic Media. 16 (13): 22. March 24, 1997.
  14. ^ "TMZ's Beyond Twisted Replaced By New Reality Show". www.anorak.co.uk. July 22, 2009. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  15. ^ Ryan, Patrick (June 2, 2014). "'Famous in 12' pushes the insta-celeb envelope". USA Today. Tysons Corner, Virginia. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  16. ^ "'Famous In 12' Announces Its Own Cancellation On Air After TMZ Unable To Make Family Stars In 5". Deadline Hollywood. July 3, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  17. ^ a b Lafayette, Jon (December 12, 2005). "TMZ Targets TV Newsmagazines". Television Week. 24 (50): 6–26.
  18. ^ a b c Ray, Rachel (November 10, 2011). "Harvey Levin, founder of celebrity news website TMZ: 'We would never hack phones'". The Daily Telegraph. London. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  19. ^ Shields, Mike (December 8, 2005). "AOL Launches TMZ.com". www.mediaweek.com. Archived from the original on February 19, 2006. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  20. ^ Collins, Scott; James, Meg (June 28, 2009). "Michael Jackson may be turning point for TMZ". Los Angeles Times. Los Angeles. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  21. ^ a b Twitchell, Anne (February 1, 1985). "The People's Court". Library Journal. 110 (2): 109.
  22. ^ a b Hernandez, Greg (April 23, 2010). "TMZ's Harvey Levin talks about being gay in the news business: "I was so terrified that somebody would find out."". greginhollywood.com. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  23. ^ gosset-bernheim, hadrien. "Hollywood veut sa peau" (PDF). Hollywood Veut Sa Peau (in French): 110–115. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  24. ^ a b David, Mark (March 2, 2013). "TMZ Boss Harvey Levin Lists Sunset Strip Digs". Variety. Los Angeles. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  25. ^ a b Gupta, Rapti (March 2, 2013). "TMZ's Harvey Levin Lists Sunset Strip Home for $5.3 Million". www.realtytoday.com. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  26. ^ Denton, Nick (February 9, 2008). "Harvey Levin's Muscular Masseur". gawker.com. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  27. ^ "The Power List: HARVEY LEVIN". Out. April 17, 2012. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  28. ^ "Power List 2013: HARVEY LEVIN". Out. April 10, 2013. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  29. ^ "Power List 2014: HARVEY LEVIN". Out. April 15, 2014. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  30. ^ "Power 50: Harvey Levin". Out. April 15, 2015. Retrieved August 25, 2015.
  31. ^ "The 10th Annual Power List". 14 April 2016. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
  32. ^ Cartwright, Lachlan (14 July 2019). "TMZ Goes MAGA: How Harvey Levin's Gossip Empire Became Trump's Best Friend". The Daily Beast. Retrieved 17 October 2020.
  33. ^ Grynbaum, Michael M. (8 March 2017). "Trump Grants Oval Office Meeting to TMZ Founder". The New York Times.
  34. ^ Serota, Maggie. "Report: Trump And TMZ's Harvey Levin Aren't Friends Anymore". Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  35. ^ "TMZ's Harvey Levin shares his opinion on President Trump and protesters". FOX 4 News Dallas-Fort Worth. 2 June 2020. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  36. ^ Michaelson, Elex. "TMZ's Harvey Levin Says Donald Trump "Committed Treason" & Should be Prosecuted". YouTube. Retrieved 25 March 2023.
  37. ^ Kilday, Gregg (May 2, 1997). "To live and fry in L.A.". Entertainment Weekly. No. 377. p. 41.

Further reading

[edit]

———————

Notes
  1. ^ Title in the online table of contents is "TMZ redefines celebrity dirt".
[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Harvey Levin.
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